I AM THE TRUE VINE – ABIDE IN ME
04/28/24 Sermon
FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER YEAR B
Jan Jordan Episcopal Lay Preacher
Jesus said:
“I AM the vine; you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15 v. 5)
Today is the 5th Sunday of Easter and we hear the last of Jesus’ “I AM” statements in John’s Gospel. He is in the midst of giving the Disciples his final discourse or instructions. Words to give them comfort and strength to endure his Crucifixion and guidance for the work they are to continue to do as his Disciples.
In the previous chapter he talked to them about “I AM the Way, the Truth and the Life, without me no one can go to the Father” (John 14 v.6) which we prayed in today’s Collect. In today’s Gospel he catches the Disciples attention by telling the story of the vines, a picture that they would understand as growing grapes and making wine was a very important aspect of their culture and life. They would understand that vines would need a lot of attention and be cultivated to produce fruit.
Okay, today’s Gospel catches my attention as well.
I love that Jesus is talking about gardening! 😊
According to an article at bibleplaces.com, grapevines and vineyards are” mentioned more than any other plant in the entire Bible… Because of its centrality in everyday life, it is often used symbolically in Scripture. A fruitful vine was a symbol of obedient Israel, while wild grapes or an empty vine spoke of Israel’s disobedience (Jer 2:21)”.
Jesus is teaching his disciples and us by using an analogy; an illustration or imagery about God’s creation; how the growing of a grape vine relates to our relationship with God the Father through his son Jesus.
I don’t know if any of you grow grapes.
I was only familiar with my Grandma Adelia’s wild grapes that provided a beautiful habitat and food for her birds.
Until -Bob and I bought our home 45 years ago and were told that there were two Concord grape vines growing on the edge of our property out back. It was not known how long they had been growing.
Initially, I didn’t pay too much attention to the vines and branches. They had thick sturdy trunks and the branches were growing in every direction; all tangled up with each other. As I soon learned - the vine branches have curling tendrils that loop and grasp onto whatever is close - to give them strength and to guard against drooping and breaking from the weight of the clusters of grapes. Some of the branches were dead.
The plants did not produce a lot of grapes the first year we lived there. But as we learned to prune and cut back the non-viable branches and take out the old wood, we began to have a lot more fruit. It was helpful to learn that in order for the vines to do their best job of providing nutrients, growth and stability to the branches, the deadwood and undesirable branches needed to be removed.
Now if you are thinking that I have a secret stash of wine barrels in my basement - the answer is no! 😊
But the grape jelly and jam are really tasty 😊
And the wildlife gets their share as well!
Jesus describes God as the vine grower or as my Bible translation says;
God is the Gardener. Jesus is His True Vine and tells the Disciples that
they are his branches.
The way to his Father is through him. He has been teaching them all through his ministry how they and we are to follow him. “You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you” (v3).
He has given the Disciples and us his teachings, his words and examples that we need to hear and hold in our hearts in order to abide in God’s Love and follow his commandments.
Jesus is offering to all an invitation and a promise thru his Grace to abide continually in his Love. We, as branches cannot survive without the vine or the Gardener who tends the vine.
It is interesting to note that in today’s verses of John 15 the phrase to “bear fruit” appears 6 times and the word ”abide” is spoken 8 times.
When we Abide in God, we have a home for our hearts to find a refuge, to rest and to refresh. To listen. To let go of whatever is pulling us away from him.
Psalm 46 v.1 says “God is our Refuge and strength; a very present help in trouble.” And in v. 11; “Be still and know that I AM God. I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth.”
To Abide in our Lord; to be held and kept close like the tendrils of the grape vine branches – to know God’s Love and to know that we are not “fruitful” of our own doing.
Just as the vines we may tend need to have sun and water – we, the Children of God, need the Light of Christ and his Living Water to nurture and sustain us. So, we can be “fruitful” in following his Way.
But, what about those verses in John that talk about pruning back the “branches” that don’t abide in the vine and removing all the “dead wood” - does this image make us feel that sometimes we may have lost our connection with God the Gardener and with our True Vine?
Maybe we feel this way when we experience those days of:
· Being selfish or unkind
· Feeling distracted, worried or anxious
· Losing our patience
· When we do not love our neighbors as much as we should
· When we have a negative outlook rather than being thankful for everything that God has given us
But our God is a loving God.
Jesus is our constant true vine and because of his saving Grace we remain connected to him when we ask for his help and forgiveness. When we ask that those undesirable branches and deadwood be removed.
Our Epistle lesson from 1st John says “God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him”. (v.9) “God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God”. (v. 15)
God knows the thoughts of our hearts. We have the Holy Spirit to open our hearts so we can hear and store those Words that help us grow more fully into Christ.
Praying to the Holy Spirit to help us to discern into action God’s “fruitful” plan for all of us.
Or as one of my devotional readings says “Get and stay in tune with the Holy Spirit, your glue for remaining in the Vine.”
“I AM the vine; you are the branches”.
We relate to this image of vines and grapes in the theological life of the church. It is depicted in the beautiful carvings at the bottom of our St. Luke’s Altar and Altar rail; as well as in the stained-glass windows in the Chapel.
Our window in the back of the church shows a chalice filled with a cluster of grapes and our back Altar has wonderful carvings of grape leaves.
Most importantly we will be remembering Christ’s life, death and resurrection when we pray the Eucharist prayers and gather at the Lord’s table - when we receive the outward and visible sign of Christ’s sacrifice in the bread and wine as a Community of Christ.
Jesus said:
“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples”. (John 15 v7-8)
How will you abide and bear fruit?
Amen
Feasting on the Word. Year B. p. 472-477
The Learning Bible CEV 1995
Book of Common Prayer
One Minute with God. Devotional Calendar. 1995
https://www.bibleplaces.com/grapevines-vineyards/